How to Start Getting Things Done

Thanks to e-mail, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Facebook, and countless other modern-day distractions, it’s easier than ever to find excuses to not be getting work done. But procrastination leads to guilt, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed, along with the inevitable shoddy performance on the job.

Why do people procrastinate? Often, according to a recent New York Times story, because they feel overwhelmed to begin with. Workers today are expected to constantly juggle and multitask, while at the same time utilizing maximum efficiency to get the most done. Employees can feel overwhelmed to the point of paralysis, which is when procrastination often kicks in. Procrastination may also come as a result of perfectionism: You want to do the job so well that it’s impossible to make headway, or even get started. But there are ways to cope. Here are seven expert-approved tactics to help tune out distractions and stay on task.